Chapter 3

Chloe stamped her foot in frustration, but she couldn't find a single word to argue back.

Three days later, the midterm rankings were posted on the corkboard in the main hallway.

When I walked toward the classroom, a huge crowd of students was gathered around the board. Complete silence hung over them.

Zach Miller stood at the very front, his neck stretched out like a giraffe. His mouth was wide open, and the Starbucks breakfast wrap in his hand grew cold, completely forgotten.

I walked up and glanced at the sheet.

The very first line read: "Aria Vance, Rank: 1."

The name on the second line wasn't Chloe Sterling. It was Ryan Cross from the honors class.

Chloe’s name was buried all the way down on page four. "Rank: 142."

The crowd stood frozen for three full seconds before the hallway erupted.

"Chloe ranked 142? No freaking way. Is there a glitch in the grading system?"

"Aria, how did you do that? You finally got first place!"

"Wait, didn't you always lose to Chloe by just one point? The tables have turned!"

Zach turned around to look at me, his breakfast wrap still hovering in mid-air.

"Aria, you beat Chloe by like, a hundred points. How did you pull this off?"

I looked at his wrap and smirked.

"With a pen. How else would I do it?"

Zach blinked, dumbfounded, while a few girls nearby burst out laughing.

Then, a sharp voice cut through the noise from behind me.

"Get out of my way."

Chloe threw her backpack onto Zach’s desk and shoved her way through the crowd, her shoulder slamming into a guy's back.

She stood in front of the ranking sheet, motionless. Her eyes scanned the very first line, paused on my name, and then dragged down to the fourth page to find her own.

The color completely drained from her face.

It wasn't a look of sadness; it was the look of someone who had been violently dragged down from a high pedestal.

She snapped her head toward me, her chin tilted up, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Aria. Outside. Now."

I leaned casually against the wall next to the corkboard.

"The rankings are right here. If you have something to say, say it here."

Her eyes flickered, scanning the lingering crowd.

"Get out here."

Leaving those words behind, she walked out first, leaning against the doorframe of the empty hallway, her fingers tapping impatiently against the wood.

When I walked out, she straightened up. "Let's go to the stairwell."

We walked into the quiet stairwell, and she turned on me. "How did you get that score?"

I leaned against the handrail.

"Didn't you just stare at the board for ten minutes? First line, first spot. That's my name."

Chloe slammed her Starbucks cup onto the windowsill.

"I'm not asking about your score! I'm asking how the hell you got first place!"

"I wrote the exam. That's how."

"Stop playing dumb!"

Her voice suddenly escalated, echoing in the concrete stairwell. She slammed her palm on the windowsill, making her drink wobble and spill a few drops.

"I couldn't hear a single one of the multiple-choice questions for math! What the hell was that ticking sound in your head?!"

I tilted my head and locked eyes with her, a cold smile playing on my lips.

"What goes on in my head is none of your business. Besides... how would you know about any ticking sound?"

Chloe’s lips parted, but she choked on her own words.

She couldn't admit it.

In my past life, she was so smug on that rooftop. But now, she didn't even dare to repeat those words.

"Don't think you've won just because of one lucky test," she hissed, trying to regain her composure. "I've been number one in this school for six years. Everyone knows I'm the genius here."

"You getting first place just looks like a fluke."

I stood up straight and adjusted the strap of my backpack.

"Then go ahead and take the top spot back on the next exam."

"Aren't you the genius? Surely a genius isn't scared of one bad unit test."

"Do it yourself next time. Show everyone that you, Chloe Sterling, don't rely on luck."

Chloe’s lips trembled. She bit her straw so hard it completely deformed.

"Fine. Just you wait."

She kicked the heavy fire door open, letting it slam loudly against the wall.

I called out to her retreating back:

"Make sure you actually bubble in your answer sheet next time. Don't leave it blank again."

Chloe paused for a fraction of a second, her shoulders rigid, before she walked away without looking back.